Extensible support leg



Jam 5, 1965 L. F. REMBowsKl 3,164,351

EXTENSIBLE SUPPORT LEG Filed Jan; 8, 1962 l 5 j@ l 4 y 12 y f 2522/6 72 im" .Leef Remawspz;

i Uzg United States Patent @il-ice 3, l 64,35 l Patented Jan.v 5, 1 965 3,164,351 EXTENSBLE SUPPGRT LEG Leo F. Reinheit/sld, Rte. 2, Box 226, Barrington, ill. Filed dan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,766 3 Claims. (Cl. 24S-1885) This invention relates to an extensible support leg arrangement for use in providing a multiple purpose structure such as a variable height table, and more particularly is concerned with an improved extensible leg structure adapted for rapid adjustment to any predetermined height for cooperating with corresponding extensible leg structures in providing accurately balanced multiple point support for a variable height table.

In schools, churches and other institutional buildings it is common to provide a meeting or assembly hall adapted to serve as an all-purpose room to be used by people of all age and size groups. lt is important therefore to provide furniture conveniently adaptable to a size suitable for use by tots or to a size suitable for use by children in intermediate grades or to a size suitable for use by adults. Such furniture must frequently be adjusted for adapting it to its different uses, and this usually requires that it be easy to adjust by persons totally uninstructed as to its operation.

ri`he principal object of the present invention is the provision of an extensible support leg arrangement of a sturdy construction characterized by the ease and speed with which it may be manually adjusted to any selected predetermined height.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an extensible support leg arrangement employing telescoping tubular members one of which is equipped with a predetermined pattern of Wall openings and the other of which is equipped with a movably mounted rigid poppet element resiliently biased laterally towards a partially projecting position where it may engage and interlock with any selected one of the wall openings, with the members having cooperable indicia registrable to denne a position pattern between the members to facilitate selective adjustment thereof.

Other objetcs and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FiG. l is a perspective view of a table structure equipped with extensible support legs constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of an extensible support'leg at one end of the table, with parts thereof broken away and sectioned to facilitate disclosure of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary view of one of the extensible support legs.

Referring now to the drawings, the extensible leg structure of this invention is illustrated in FIG. l in its application to a variable height table which is designated generally at 1?. The table is shown equipped with a set of four support legs 11 each of which is independently extensible by manual adjustment thereof.

Each extensible leg structure comprises upper and lower tubular leg sections 12 and 13, respectively, having adjacent ends thereof disposed in vertically overlapping, telescoping relation. In the preferred arrangement illustnated herein, the upper leg section 12 is only slightly larger than the lower leg section 13 to receive it in snug fitting relatively freely slidable and rotatable relation. Preferably, each leg section is of circular cross sectional configuration.

Each larger diameter upper leg section 12 is provided with a series of vertically aligned Wall openings 12W spaced therealong in accordance with a predetermined standard pattern, and a rigid poppet element 14 is located in an intermediate wall opening provided adjacent to the upper end of the smaller diameter lower leg section. The poppet element 14 is confined against escape by a base rim portion 14R that mechanically interlocks with the Wall portions bordering and defining the intermediate wall opening of the lower leg, and the poppet is resiliently biased to project partially outwardly of the generally cylindrical periphery of the lower leg section to permit secure interlocking engagement within any selected one of the Wall openings 12W of the upper leg section.

In the arrangement illustrated herein the poppet element is resiliently biased to its partially projecting locking position by means of a tubular stub 15 of rubber-like material that is seated in snug force it coaxial relation within the lower leg section at a position to span the mounting opening for the poppet to react laterally out- Wardly against the poppet. The thickness and resilient characteristics of this insert are selected to permit the poppet element to be forced inwardly by reasonable thumb pressure to permit of disengaging the poppet element from its locking relation. Preferably, the exposed end of the poppet element is smoothly curved to present a tapering cam contour that becomes active, only after the poppet 1d is partially retracted by thumb action, to facilitate complete retraction and disengagement upon initiation of relative rotation or sliding movement between the leg sections.

Height indicia H are provided in spaced relation along the lower leg section in accordance with the same spacing pattern existing between the Wall openings 12W of the upper leg section. The height indicia H are keyed spacially to the poppet location so as to register with la reference mark on the lower end of the upper leg section when the corresponding wall opening 12W comes into registry with the poppet. In the preferred form illustrated herein the reference mark is provided as a semicircular recess R forming a viewing window at the extreme lower edge of the upper leg section. This indicator relationship provides visual guidance both as torotational alignment tand as to lengthwise alignment between the poppet element and the corresponding selected wall opening.

When .the table is to be adjusted in height it is necessary to adjust the height of each of its support legs and it is desirable that these adjustments be carried out accurately to maintain proper balanced support. The present invention permits such adjustment with a maximum of convenience and speed. These advantages are provided because of the ease of actuation of the poppet type interlock which is 4merely depressed manually and completely disengaged by simultaneous rotating or sliding the leg sections relative to one another. Preferably, the disengaging motion involves at least partial rotation in order to swing the poppet element out of line with adjacent locking holes so that the leg may swiftly be moved from one length adjustment to another without accidental engagement of lthe poppet element in any of the intervening holes. The array of height indicia constantly provides a visual check of the relative positions of the leg sections to insure against undesired accidental engagements, and then finally serves to permit quick registry of the poppet with the desired locking hole.

The xed adjustment pattern provided by the spaced holes is important for insuring ease of adjustment of a plurality of legs to a balanced relation. The height indicia provides the guidance required for assuring easy and rapid length adjustments even by persons uninstructed as to operation.

It should be understood 4that the description of the preferred forni of the invention is for the purpose of coinf plying with Section 122, Title 35 of the United States Code, and that the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.

What is claimed is:

1. In an extensible leg structure wherein upper and lower tubular leg sections have adjacent ends disposed in vertically overlapping telescoping relation and constituting outer and inner leg sections, the outer leg section having a series of wall openings spaced therealong, a rigid poppet element niovably mounted in an intermediate Wall opening of the Iinner section, and a tubular sleeve of resiliently yieldable material disposed in snug t relation in said inner section in register with said wail opening thereof to normally bias said poppet element to project partially outwardly thereof for engagement with any one Vof the wall openings of said outer section, said tubular sleeve being yieldable upon manually forcing said poppet element inwardly thereagainst yto accommodate inward movement of the poppet element of :sudicient extent to disengage the outer section and permit relative sliding movement between said sections.

2, In a multipurpose structure such as an adjustable y height table wherein a plurality of extensible legs coopheight indicia spaced .therealong in accordance with the same pattern, said outer leg section having means defining a visible reference position that is registrable with any of said height indicia to establish predetermined positional relationships between said sections, a rigid poppet element movably mounted in an intermediate wall opening of the inner leg section, and a tubular sleeve of resiliently yieldable material disposed in snug lit relation in f said inner leg section in register with said wall opening thereof .and normally engaging said poppet element to bias the saine to project partially outwardly thereof for engagement with Vany one of the Wall openings of said outer leg section, said poppet element being located to register with any selected Wall opening of said outer leg section when -the corresponding height indicia registers lengthwise and rotatably with said reference position.

3. An adjustable height table comprising a table top 5 and a plurality of extensible legs attached to the top and cooperably providing balanced support therefor, each extensible leg having upper and lower tubular leg sections, having adjacent ends disposed in vertically overlapping telescoping relation and constituting snug ting relatively freely slidahle and rotatable inner and outer leg sections, the outer leg section having a series of vertically aligned wall openings spaced thereaiong in accordance with a predetermined standard pattern, the inner leg section having a series of individually distinguishable vertically aligned height indicia spaced therealong in accordance with the saine pattern, said outer leg section having means deiining a visible reference position that is registrable with any of said height indicia to establish predetermined positional relationships between said sections, a rigid poppet element movably mounted in an intermediate wall opening of the inner leg section yand resilicntly biased to project partially outwardly thereof for mechanicar interlocking err-agement with any one of the Wall openings of said outer section, said poppet element being located to register with any selected wail opening of said outer section when the corresponding height indicia registers lengthwise and rotatably with said reference position provided on said out section; said resiliently biased poppet element comprising a tubular sleeve oi resiiiently yieldahlc material disposed in snug t relation in said inner section to span and overiie the wall opening thereof for normally biasing said poppet element to project partially outwardly thereof or manually releasable engagement with any one of the wall openings of said outer section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,838,352 12H31 Anderson 287-58 X 2,201,274 5/40 Singer 287-58 X 2,367,196 1/45 Butler 287-58 2,429,494 10f47 Stephens 287-137 2,435,060 1,1'48 Thomson 248-191 X F2,594,605 4/52 Zoppelt 287-58 2,610,598 9/52 Midas 287-58 X 2,642,121 6,53 Frick 297-437 2,719,688 10/55 Seifert 24S-191 2,722,970 11/55 Stechniann 248-191 X 2,771,261 11/56 Niggeloh 248-191 3,011,810 12/61 Crowder 248-191 3,025,557 3/62 Knowlton 248-193 X 3,103,375 9/63 McMullin 248-191 FOREIGN PATENTS 188,493 11/22 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LeROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN EXTENSIBLE LEG STRUCTURE WHEREIN UPPER AND LOWER TUBULAR LEG SECTION HAVE ADJACENT ENDS DISPOSED IN VERTICALLY OVERLAPING TELESCOPING RELATION AND CONSTITUTING OUTER AND INNER LEG SECTIONS, THE OUTER LEG SECTION HAVING A SERIES OF WALL OPENINGS SPACED THEREALONG, A RIGID POPPET ELEMENT MOVABLY MOUNTED IN AN INTERMEDIATE WALL OPENING OF THE INNER SECTION, AND A TUBULAR SLEEVE OF RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SNUG FIT RELATION IN SAID INNER SECTION IN REGISTER WITH SAID WALL OPENING THEREOF TO NORMALLY BIAS SAID POPPET ELEMENT TO PROJECT PARTIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ANY ONE OF THE WALL OPENINGS OF SAID OUTER SECTION, SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE BEING YIELDABLE UPON MANUALLY FORCING SAID POPPET ELEMENT INWARDLY THEREAGAIST TO ACCOMMODATE INWARD MOVEMENT OF THE POPPET ELEMENT OF SUFFICIENT EXTENT TO DISENGAGE THE OUTER SECTION AND PERMIT RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SECTIONS. 